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Gertrude Stene Hoskinson

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Gertrude was born Aug. 30, 1934 in Columbus to Astrid and Bjarne Stene. During her early childhood, her family traveled around Columbus working on ranches.

In 1940 her family moved to Big Timber, Montana where they made their home. After moving to Big Timber, her mother gave birth to Gertrude’s three younger brothers, John, Martin and Oscar. Gertrude excelled at school in Big Timber. She graduated from high school at the top of her class in 1951 and went on to get a bachelor of science in chemistry and a minor in mathematics from the University of Montana in Missoula. She was the first of her family to achieve a university education.

In 1954, she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Bill Hoskinson. She worked researching optics during her early career and then later worked as an assistant in her husband’s medical practice.

She had five children total - Scott, Mark, Brett, Lisa and Rosemary and she was a very loving mother. As she was raising her own children, she also opened her home to other children who would live with them intermittently while they were growing up. She has seven grandchildren - Shaun, Serena, Melissa, William, Charles, Alexander and Ariel. She also has four great grandchildren - Drystan, Kiryn, Isaac and Abby.

She and her husband lived in Big Timber, Oregon, Panama, Miles City and Hawaii. When they retired, they lived six months of the year in Big Timber and the other six months in Pukalani, Hawaii. While in Big Timber, she continued Astrid’s weekly Sunday coffee for family and neighbors, bringing the community together. Her hobbies included reading, hiking, scuba diving, traveling and spending time with family. She will always be remembered for her tremendous generosity and her unending love by all those who knew her. Cremation has taken place, and no services are planned at this time.